It is reported that more than one million Malaysians work in Singapore. Malaysians overall, constitute the largest foreign community in that country. The latest statistics indicate that 44% of Singapore’s foreign-born population are Malaysians. And to add to this, an estimated 350,000 Malaysians make across the causeway daily for work and school.
If there was an abundance of opportunities in Malaysia that pay well; if our ringgit is strong and formidable; if our education system is comparable to the best in the world; if we live in an inclusive society; if privileges are offered to those in need, Malaysians will not even think about going to work, study, and live in Singapore or anywhere else.
Source: The Star, 18 Mar 2020
Indonesia and Singapore, seem to have better leadership. They are making amazing strides offering vision and foresight to their people, while we are plodding along. Many politicians are also playing musical chairs!
Our choices are so limited to a motley crew of self-serving career politicians. We just see our leaders making numerous silly statements and not doing much to ensure prosperity and inclusiveness. Malaysia has slipped seven notches to 32nd place in the 2022 International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking. So, as things get worse for normal folks, our politicians ask us to make sacrifices for the well-being of the nation, but they continue to lead the high-life with outriders for criminals as well. We need leaders who will navigate us out of the complex issues Malaysia faces.
When you have your back against the wall and your family is struggling to make ends meet or when your business is teetering on the brink of collapse and your job is on the line, you need beacons of hope. Great leaders are like lighthouses who help us circumnavigate through treacherous waters. But in Malaysia, the lack of integrity in our leaders is stupefying.
Over the decades, Malaysians have been fed a steady diet of corrosive views. Systematically over time, we have been indoctrinated to take on the warped views of some politicians.
Our transportation situation needs immediate attention. Malaysians can see the worsening traffic woes. If it normally took 20-minutes to get to work, now it takes an hour because of the congestion. But when a discussion started about whether we should have more highways or focus on public transport, the transport minister said that the planning of highways is not within his ambit. Of course, it is the job of the works ministry. But don’t they talk to each other and figure out a plan together for the benefit of the citizens?
Most Malaysians don’t know whether to laugh or cry as things continue to slide.
So once again, the question is, what kind of leaders do we want? Opportunistic self-servers, or those who work for the betterment of everyone? If we think about the people we truly admire, you will see that they will have traits like integrity, trustworthiness, fairness, honesty, positivity, a winning attitude, and are able to cope with setbacks. A management expert once wrote that leadership has less to do with position than it does with disposition.
For Malaysia, we need leadership that combines strategy and strength of character. Our leaders cannot demand reverence or allegiance. They have to earn it through a proven track record. Exceptional leaders have integrity, and put their people front and centre.
When Malaysia finally has these types of leaders, Talent Corp. will become irrelevant and more are willing to sacrifice for a better Malaysia. And if you need to emulate any leader, then think of Jokowi, you can’t go wrong.
Reference:
Will you leave Malaysia if everything is good here? Shankar R. Santhiram, FMT (Free Malaysia Today), 16 June 2022
No comments:
Post a Comment